My first cruise experience: review and tips - Episode 63
After years of being a land travel only kind of girl, I finally went on my first cruise—and I have thoughts.
From the ship experience and excursions to what I wish I had packed, I’m breaking it all down in this week’s episode of Create & Consume.
We sailed on a 7-night trip through the Caribbean on Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas, and I’ve got a full recap of the ship, the stops, what surprised me most, and tips for first-timers.
Create & consume:
What Austen is creating this week: cruise outfits recap reel for short-form
What Austen is consuming this week: Square Waves by Alexandra Romanoff, an 831 Stories romance novella
In this episode:
Cruise first impressions
We stayed in a 124-square-foot state room with a window, and although I was mildly panicking when I first saw how small it was, all in all they made the most of the layout and the space.
There was a couch, bed, vanity area, nightstands, closet, and small bathroom. We fit our suitcases in the closet and under the bed with no problem.
Food & drink
We skipped the drink package and stuck with the basic food plan.
Honestly, that worked out because we didn’t drink much—aside from a few $6 happy hour margaritas before dinner. That said, I do wish soft drinks were included.
Most meals were in the main dining room, but Andrew and I did a date night at the sushi restaurant onboard called Izumi, which had a great $40 per person prix fixe option (starter, two large plates, and dessert).
The ship and our route
Our cruise was 7 nights with 5 island stops, departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
We flew in a couple of days early and stayed at Hotel Condado, which I’d definitely recommend—it was close to the airport, cruise terminal, and Old San Juan.
We also had a fun night out in Old San Juan before boarding and went to a restaurant dubbed “the birthplace of the pina colada.”
Here’s a breakdown of each stop and what we did:
St. Thomas
No excursion—just grabbed a local taxi ($15 per person round trip) to Magen’s Bay
Relaxed on the beach, had some drinks, and soaked up the sun
Renting an umbrella would’ve been smart (I got a bit of a sunburn)
St. Croix
Walked around the port area and visited Fort Frederik Museum ($10 per person), where we learned about the island’s history and saw modern Crucian art
St. Maarten
Booked a half-day catamaran sail that included snorkeling, snacks, and drinks, which was super fun and a short walk from the cruise port
Andrew and I also explored the small town in the afternoon alone
St. Lucia
Did a full-day jungle tour, which was beautiful but feature some very windy roads that made me wish I had brought motion sickness patches
Barbados
Full-day island tour that included snorkeling with sea turtles!!
Our guide even took us to Rihanna’s childhood home, which was amazing to see!
We had lunch at a food truck (shout out to Taco Dan specifically, where we had shrimp tacos and loaded chicken nachos)
Day at sea
This day was surprisingly packed—we didn’t do any paid add-ons like sushi making or cupcake decorating, but we joined a few trivia games (Taylor Swift edition and one with questions about Game of Thrones) and even did an impromptu scavenger hunt with the kids on board with a little help from ChatGPT
What to pack
Here’s what I brought:
Sunscreen (bring more than you think you'll need)
Motion sickness patches or Dramamine
Books (plural—I finished one super fast)
Portable phone charger (only one outlet in our room)
Tide pen (I had to buy one at our hotel’s gift shop)
Towel clips or rubber bands, since it can get windy on board
Hat or baseball cap to protect your scalp from the sun
Things that surprised me
There was so much to do—karaoke, trivia, casino, live music, games. I never felt bored.
The Seapass system made everything seamless—we barely touched our passports after boarding.
I loved seeing multiple destinations without figuring out the logistics myself. Especially after trips like our Italy adventure, where we were constantly catching trains, shuttles, and rental cars between cities, it felt amazing to simply wake up in a new destination each morning.
I didn’t feel like I needed more than one day on each island.
What I’d do differently next time
Stagger excursions with some chill days to recover, we had three back-to-back days of excursions but that was really just how the days we wanted to explore shook out
Bring motion sickness relief
Pack more casual outfits for excursion days or mornings onboard the ship
Choose a different route for the next one—I’d love to explore another section of the Caribbean islands now that I know what to expect
Cruising was such a fun surprise. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but the balance of adventure, downtime, and easy travel logistics totally won me over.
Summary
From beach days and snorkeling to trivia nights and surprise favorites like happy hour margaritas, my first cruise was packed with fun, learning moments, and a few rookie mistakes.
Have you been on a cruise? Would you go on one? Tell us in the comments!
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